"And he gave them their request; but sent leanness unto their souls." (Psalm 106:15)
It would seem to me that much of life is a trade-off—especially for a woman. If it's God's will for you to marry, as is generally the case, you will have to decide whether you are willing to trade independence for intimacy. If He blesses you with children, you will, most assuredly, exchange privacy for pandemonium! And, spiritually speaking, if you disdain the counsel of God (v.13), lusting instead for the things of this world's system (v.14), God may very well grant your request. But the trade-off will not be worth it. For as one preacher has characterized the people in this text, "They got what they wanted, but they lost what they had."
The resulting leanness of soul that follows a life lived independent of God and Jesus Christ will leave one so hungry that nothing in this world will ever relieve the pangs. It would be like giving cotton candy to a starving man. It might look inviting, exciting even, but it's still just air, sweet to the taste but useless to the body.
Who in their right mind would settle for a good time, when they could have a good life?
This is a terribly sobering verse; or, at least, it should be. We can never alter God's ultimate order, but we can limit His power in our lives, in the present (Mark 6:5). For although we know God is Sovereign, He has chosen to allow us to override His good judgment at times, in order to give us something we think we want. When that happens, you and I have made a poor trade—leanness of soul in exchange for the world's cotton candy.
"Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread...hearken diligently unto me, and eat that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness." (Isaiah 55:2)
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